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02 Jan 2013

Rob McClure as Chaplin

Photo by Joan Marcus

Here's Playbill.com's weekly "Last Chance" reminder to catch Broadway, Off-Broadway and world-premiere productions before they take a final bow.

Concluding Jan. 5

Artist of Light (Off-Broadway at The Duke on 42nd Street). The world premiere of Artist of Light is a stage show from glow-suit dance group iLuminate, who rose to fame on television's "America's Got Talent." Artist of Light, according to iLuminate Productions, "tells the story of Jacob, a talented but insecure young artist who struggles to connect with the real world. He takes comfort in his magical paintbrush, which grants him the power to turn the characters of his imagination into living, breathing creatures. When a jealous bully steals the paintbrush and uses it for evil, turning Jacob's sweet creations into horrifying monsters, Jacob must face danger without the help of his miraculous tool. He fights to save his town and friends, all while knowing the paintbrush that brought him so much joy is now a weapon in the hands of a villain bent on destruction." Visit Iluminate.com.

Concluding Jan. 6

War Horse (Broadway at the Lincoln Center's Vivian Beaumont Theater). War Horse, the 2011 Tony Award-winning Best Play, features a series of life-sized equestrian puppets by the Handspring Puppet Company to tell the story of a boy and his horse. Here's how LCT bills the work: "At the outbreak of World War I, Joey, young Albert's beloved horse, is sold to the cavalry and shipped to France. Joey is soon caught up in enemy fire, and fate takes him on an extraordinary odyssey, serving on both sides before finding himself alone in no man's land. But Albert cannot forget Joey and, still not old enough to enlist, he embarks on a mission to find his horse and bring him home." Visit WarHorseOnBroadway.com.

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Chaplin (Broadway at the Barrymore Theatre). The new musical Chaplin, depicting the life of screen legend Charlie Chaplin and chronicling the rise and fall of the infamous Little Tramp, stars critically acclaimed Barrymore Award winner Rob McClure in the title role. Here's how producers characterize the new musical: "From the slums of London to the heights of Hollywood, Chaplin is the showbiz Broadway musical about the silent film legend the world couldn't stop talking about — Charlie Chaplin. The brand new 24-person musical reveals the man behind the legend, the undeniable genius that forever changed the way America went to the movies." Visit ChaplinBroadway.com.

Grace (Broadway at the Cort Theatre). Craig Wright's Grace, a four-person darkly comic drama set in Florida that examines the meaning of religion and life, stars Paul Rudd, Michael Shannon, Kate Arrington and Edward Asner. The 100-minute intermissionless play is described as such: "In alternating scenes of hilarity and poignancy, life turns surreal for an eclectic foursome whose destinies collide in the Sunshine State. A wide-eyed young couple (Rudd & Arrington) head south with big plans to open a chain of Gospel-themed motels. When an agitated rocket scientist (Shannon) and a prickly pest-control man (Asner) enter the picture, the couple's ordered world is thrown into utter chaos." Visit GraceOnBroadway.com.

Dead Accounts (Broadway at the Music Box Theatre). Theresa Rebeck's new play Dead Accounts stars Tony winner Norbert Leo Butz and Katie Holmes. In Dead Accounts, according to press notes, "Jack's (Butz) unexpected return throws his family into a frenzy, and his sister Lorna (Holmes) needs answers. Is he coming home or running away? Where is his wife (Greer) everyone hates? And how did he get all that money? Theresa Rebeck’s new comedy tackles the timely issues of corporate greed, small town values, and whether or not your family will always welcome you back…with no questions asked." Visit DeadAccountsOnBroadway.com.

Elf (Broadway at the Theatre at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre). Jordan Gelber and Leslie Kritzer co-star in the Broadway return of Elf, the holiday musical comedy based on the 2003 film of the same title. According to producers, "Elf is the hilarious tale of Buddy, a young orphan child who mistakenly crawls into Santa’s bag of gifts and is transported back to the North Pole. Buddy is raised unaware that he is actually a human, until his enormous size and poor toy-making abilities cause him to face the truth. With Santa’s permission, Buddy embarks on a journey to New York City to find his birth father and discover his true identity. Faced with the harsh reality that his father is on the naughty list and his step-brother doesn’t even believe in Santa, Buddy is determined to win over his new family and help New York remember the true meaning of Christmas. This modern day Christmas classic is sure to make everyone embrace their inner Elf." Visit ElfMusical.com.